Expandable stents and method for making same
US5421955A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jun 6, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49995
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more interconnective elements. The individual radially expandable cylindrical elements consist of ribbon-like material disposed in an undulating pattern. The stents are made by coating a length of tubing with an etchant-resistive material and then selectively removing portions of the coating to form a pattern for the stent on the tubing and to expose the portions of the tubing to be removed. This may done by machine-controlled activation and relative positioning of a laser in conjunction with the coated tubing. After the patterning of the tubing, the stent is formed by removing exposed portions of the tubing by an etching process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.